Pelicans Feast On Cape Gannet Chicks | Life | BBC Earth

As fish stocks decline, thousands of cape gannet chicks are left exposed to predators. While both parents are away fishing, these pelicans seize a gruesome opportunity to feed their own young.

Watch more:

Life
David Attenborough narrates a breathtaking ten-part blockbuster that brings you 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world. Discover the glorious variety of life on Earth and the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to stay alive. Cutting edge cinematic techniques capture unprecedented, astonishing sequences, including birds running and dancing on the water's surface in intricate displays of courtship and fidelity, fish outwitting predators by using their fins to take flight, flies competing in a mesmerising eyeball inflation contest.

Welcome to BBC EARTH! The world is an amazing place full of stories, beauty and natural wonder. Here you'll find 50 years worth of entertaining and thought-provoking natural history content. Dramatic, rare, and exclusive, nature doesn't get more exciting than this.

[itsty]

When the first thing you hear is “ but the pelicans aren’t after fish” you know it’s about to get real.

[kobe]

Pelicans walking around like they were in a Wal-Mart aisle...

[southwest]

I’ve never actually stopped and looked at a pelican’s design, but now that I have, I can’t help but notice how terrifying a creature they are, even in their beady-eyed, tall, looming appearance.

[uzigotbars]

This is so sad! Just because a pelican doesn’t mean a pelishould

[TS]

Next episode: Adult Gannets set fire to pelican island.

[gideonjones]

"The parents regurgitate partially digested gannette chicks"

I'm sorry, WHAT

[juanojeda]

"I love animals, they are so pure. We don't deserve them."

Animals:

[residentevillife]

the way they just casually walk around their prey's nesting site picking out chicks and swallowing them whole like a damn buffet is pretty disturbing

[AmsaAce]

1:58 go baby gannet, tell him off ... freaking savage

[timlombardini]

That's some wickedly brutal feeding right there.

[generalstorm]

Ever since I was young, pelicans terrified me. Growing up, I can see that fear was entirely justifiable.

[seanbooth]

1:24
“There goes Billy again pretending he’s got a mustache”

[theresafushiguro]

My side brain: Now I hate pelicans.
My other side of brain: But thats how Nature goes...

[angelaschnelly]

Ooof, going to be looking at pelicans a little differently now.

[CloakedC]

Imagine being digested alive. Then being spit out still alive only to be eaten again 😨

[celestebutler]

I love at 1:55 where a pelican tries to scoop up a chick, and the chick sits up tall with shoulders squared and gives it a death glare and a verbal tongue lashing. If you look behind this chick, you will see another chick watching the altercation, in apparent awe of the first chick’s defensive capabilities. When the pelican backs off, the second chick swings its head to the pelican with a “Well whatch ‘ya gonna do now, ‘ya big jerk, ” look, but wisely does not call attention to itself.

[cindyclawford]

1:59
That chick be like... *"Hey dude! Watch whom you're eating!"*

[sodbrenner]

My finger: clicks on the video
My brain: instant regret

[casper]

I just love how casually the pelicans are walking between the gannets

[CJCroen]

I like how it shows both sides.
The pelicans have chicks of their own to feed, after all.